Electrical cord anchoring structure



June 27, 1967 J. H. BEACH 3,327,734

ELECTRICAL CORD ANCHORING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, 1967 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 'J. H. BEACH ELECTRICAL CORD ANCHORING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent M 3,327,734 ELECTRICAL CORD ANCHORING STRUCTURE Justice H. Beach, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,173 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-560) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An arrangement for anchoring an electrical connector to a liquid receptacle having a threaded fill spout includes an anchoring member received over the fill spout and trapping the connector against the top surface of the receptacle. A threaded retainer screwed onto the fill spout biases the anchoring member tightly against the electrical connector.

The present application relates to a structure for anchoring an electrical cord to a container. In a device such as a power operated upholstering shampooing tool it is desirable to have a large detergent container separate from the tool itself. This is because a container on the tool itself would have to be extremely small and even then it would greatly increase the bulk of the tool and interfere with its manipulation. With a separate receptacle it is desirable to have both the power cord and the liquid supply tube secured to the receptacle, and running to the tool as one line. If the supply tube alone is run from the receptacle to the tool and the power cord directly from the tool to an electrical outlet there are two separate lines which would have a tendency to become tangled and make manipulation of the tool difiicult. Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to secure a power cord to a receptacle in such a manner that they cannot be accidentally displaced.

It is a further object of this invention to secure a power cord plug to a liquid receptacle in such a manner that the plug is protected against accidental spillage of liquid thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a View showing a receptacle having the features of the present invention embodied therein with the receptacle connected to a shampooing tool.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the anchoring means of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a receptacle on which the present invention is used and with a power cord shown in dotted lines for clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a power cord and liquid supply tube used with the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the anchoring means of the present invention with parts cut away for clarity.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing a retainer used in the present invention to secure the anchoring means in place.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a cap for the receptacle fill opening.

FIGURE 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 3 showing the inlet hole in the receptacle of FIGURE 3 for the liquid supply tube.

Referring now to the drawing FIGURE 1 shows a liquid receptacle 1 connected to a shampooing tool 2 by a power cord 3 and a liquid supply tube 4 of elastomeric material such as vinyl or rubber composition or the like. The shampooing tool 2 is of the type which has a selfcontained electric motor driving a brush 5 mounted on a shaft and having a pump therein for pumping liquid through supply tube 4 from receptacle 1. Tool 2 has a pump control lever 6 for turning the pump on and off, and a 3,327,734 Patented June 27, 1967 switch button 7 for turning the motor on and off. Circular, split-ring plastic clip members as indicated at 8 and 9 are snapped over cord 3 and tube 4 to hold them tightly together as a single line.

As shown in FIGURE 3 receptacle 1 has a fill spout 10 on its top with screw threads 11 formed on the exterior thereof. One top end of receptacle 1 is recessed to form a horizontal stepped surface as at 12 and a vertical surface as at 14. The top side edge is also recessed as shown to form another horizontal stepped surface as at 13. The vertical wall of the recess forming surface 13 is contoured at its end adjacent surfaces 12 and 14 to mate with the side contour of plug 16 on the end of cord 3 as shown, and is cut back at 17 for a purpose to be presently explained. The vertical wall meeting surface 13 terminates in an arcnate portion 33 to meet the flat sidewall of receptacle 1.

FIGURES 2 and 5 show anchoring member 18 which has a hole 19 therein to fit over fill spout 10 on receptacle 1. When anchoring member 18 is positioned on receptacle 1 with fill spout 10 received in hole 19 the bottom edge 20 of vertical portion 21 abuts the outside edge of surface 13 on receptacle 1. The bottom edge 22 of vertical wall 23 abuts surface 12 on receptacle 1 and vertical edge 24 on wall 23 abuts surface 14. Projection 25 on anchoring member 18 fits in recess 26 on plug 16. Retaining member 27 in FIGURE 6 has screw threads 28 formed on its interior to mate with threads 11 on fill spout 10. Retainer 27 is screwed onto spout 10 to firmly hold anchoring member 18 in place. The inside surface of vertical wall 21 on anchoring member 18 contacts side surface 29 on plug 16 and plug 16 is firmly held against movement in any direction by its engagement with projection 25, and by its engagement with receptacle 1 and anchoring member 18. Cap 30 of FIGURE 7 screws on spout 10 and abuts retaining member 27.

As shown in FIGURE 8 one sidewall 31 of recess 17 has a hole 32 bored therein through which tube 4 extends to the bottom of receptacle '1. Tube 4 and cord 3 extend through a rectangular opening formed between vertical wall 21 on anchoring member 18 and wall portion 33 on receptacle 1. At least one clip member 34 in FIGURE 4 tightly holds cord 3 and tube 4 together beneath anchoring member 18.

Anchoring member 18 completely covers plug 16 on cord 3 and thereby prevents any spillage While filling receptacle 1 from flowing onto plug 16. Since plug 16 is firmly secured in position by anchoring member 18, and cord 3 is firmly attached to tube 4 by clips as 8, 9 and 34, tube 4 is also firmly anchored in position and cannot be pulled out of hole 32 in sidewall 31 of receptacle 1.

Receptacle 1 is preferably blow molded of polyethylene and with the present invention no additions or modifications to receptacle 1 are necessary to secure anchoring member 18 to container 1. Cord 3 and plug 16 are firmly anchored to receptacle 1 so that a female socket member can easily be connected to plug 16. In addition, anchoring member 18 prevents any spilled liquid from reaching plug 16, and the securement together of cord 3 and tube 4 prevents tube 3 from being pulled out of hole 32 in receptacle 1. v

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described it is to be understood that this embodiment is only illustrative and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The present invention includes all equivalent varations of the disclosed embodiment and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Structure for securing an electrical connector to a receptacle having an upstanding fill spout thereon comprising;

(a) a first member defining anchoring means having a hole therein, said fill spout being received in said hole,

(b) a second member defining an electrical connector on an electrical cord positioned beneath said anchoring means on said receptacle, and

(c) retaining means secured on said fill spout, said retaining means biasing against said anchoring means to tightly hold said electrical connector between said anchoring means and said receptacle.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein one of said first and second members has projection means thereon and the other of said first and second members has recess means therein, said projection means being received in said recess means to prevent movement of said connector in any direction.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said receptacle has a stepped recess formed therein and said electrical connector is positioned in said recess, said connector being everywhere surrounded except at its ends by surfaces on said receptacle and said anchoring means.

4. The structure of claim 1 and further including a liquid supply tube, means securing said tube to said electrical cord, an entry hole in said receptacle at a point beneath said anchoring means, said tube having an end extending into said receptacle through said entry hole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1958 Lofgren 15-412 9/1966 Sheeran 339-103 

1. STRUCTURE FOR SECURING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO A RECEPTACLE HAVING AN UPSTANDING FILL SPOUT THEREON COMPRISING: (A) A FIRST MEMBER DEFINING ANCHORING MEANS HAVING A HOLE THEREIN, SAID FILL SPOUT BEING RECEIVED IN SAID HOLE, (B) A SECOND MEMBER DEFINING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON AN ELECTRICAL CORD POSITIONED BENEATH SAID ANCHORING MEANS ON SAID RECEPTACLE, AND (C) RETAINING MEANS SECURED ON SAID FILL SPOUT, SAID RETAINING MEANS BIASING AGAINST SAID ANCHORING MEANS TO TIGHTLY HOLD SAID ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BETWEEN SAID ANCHORING MEANS AND SAID RECEPTACLE. 